Krakow is a city connected with stained-glass art for centuries. Dozens of outstanding works of art decorate both the most magnificent historical buildings of the city and residential as well as public buildings, especially those in the art nouveau and art deco style. In the urban space, one may find wonderful glazing even in inconspicuous-looking tenement houses. Not surprisingly, Krakow’s stained-glass windows include hundreds of objects made by our workshop.

Many of them adorn the city’s most famous historical landmarks. A visit to St. Mary’s Basilica is first of all an opportunity to have a look at the windows from the 14th century which still delight with their diversified stylistics: apart from medallions depicting the creation of the world we can also find complicated decorative compositions. On the choir, on the other hand, you will find stained glass windows from the early 20th century, the cuts which came out of our workshop, according to a joint design by Wyspiański, Mehoffer and Dmochowski.

A walk to the Wawel Hill and avisit to the Cathedral Basilica is an opportunity to admire more of the magnificent works. We particularly encourage you to visit the Saint Cross Chapel with its stained glass window, The History of the Holy Cross, designed by Józef Mehoffer, for which our workshop received a gold medal at the 1925 Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris.

Following the trail of sacral stained-glass windows, one must not forget to visit the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. Upon entering, you are impressed by the rich polychrome paintings on the walls and vaulting of the church, which contrast wonderfully with the soaring stained glass windows in the presbytery. On the left, Blessed Salome attracts attention with her mysticism and hieratic character, while on the right we see Saint Francis standing barefoot among the branches of a shrub with his face raised towards heaven. Above the choir there is God the Father, one of Wyspiański’s most famous designs. The huge figure, made up of flat patches of colour and restlessly undulating lines, creates an extremely dynamic whole.

Immediately after leaving the Basilica, it is worth turning back towards Wszystkich Świętych Square, where the Wyspiański 2000 Pavilion is located. It forms a frame for three stained glass windows depicting Casimir the Great, Henry the Pious and St. Stanislaus. Designed around 1900 by Stanisław Wyspiański with the Wawel Cathedral in mind, they were not realised at the time, probably because of their modernity and drastic form. It was not until 2002 that Piotr Ostrowski, the artistic director of the Stained Glass Workshop and Museum, undertook to perform the designs in glass, in collaboration with Andrzej Wajda. Encouraged by the initiative, the city funded apavilion, adjacent to the seat of its authorities and the Franciscan church, which became home to the three stained glass windows.

20th century, we recommend paying special attention to their façades, peeping into gates and open staircases. There is agood chance to find wonderful, ornamental glazing with surprising forms and an incredible wealth of colours. Wonderful floral motifs can be found, for example, in the tenement house at ul. Piłsudskiego 9, where the staircase features a stained glass window with a motif of red poppies and a window depicting a landscape with a lake.

Public buildings in Krakow can also boast with beautiful stained glass windows. In the Craftsmen Chamber at ul. św. Anny 9 there is a decorative window, resembling a peacock’s tail, maintained in intense shades of pink and violet.

Created in 1933, the allegorical stained-glass windows made by Mehoffer for the Savings Bank of Krakow are the essence of the artist’s personal style. Placed on the viewer’s eye level, these art works allow a closer look at the finesse and craftsmanship of the employees of the Krakow Stained Glass Workshop S.G. Żeleński.

The House under the Globe at ul. Długa 1 hides amagnificent room designed by Józef Mehoffer. The entire interior design is inspired by the Zakopane style and Viennese Art Nouveau with numerous floral motifs. The huge arched windows are decorated with glazing in soft pink tones and here and there with foliage. They catch the eye with delicacy and elegance.

Many of the above-mentioned objects have been included on the map of Krakow stained glass available in our Museum. Each visitor receives it as a nice souvenir and an invitation to discover Krakow’s stained-glass treasures on their own. Thanks to it, an ordinary walk around the city will change into an extraordinary journey to the world of light and colour.

Windows in the staircase of Herbewo Office Centre were created in 2001. The concept behind those modern stained glass panels utilizes elements of movement generated by the structure of the building. The glass shaft of the elevator enables the viewer to watch the entirety of the composition while riding through all 6 floors. Two contrasting spectra of colour were combined to create the suggestion of a horizon. However, contrary to the natural world, the horizon seems to be ascending as the viewer moves upwards.

The House under the Globe at ul. Długa 1 hides a magnificent room designed by Józef Mehoffer. The entire interior design is inspired by the Zakopane style and Viennese Art Nouveau with numerous floral motifs. The huge arched windows are decorated with glazing in soft pink tones and here and there with foliage. They catch the eye with delicacy and elegance.

Many of the above-mentioned objects have been included on the map of Krakow stained glass available in our Museum. Each visitor receives it as a nice souvenir and an invitation to discover Krakow’s stained-glass treasures on their own. Thanks to it, an ordinary walk around the city will change into an extraordinary journey to the world of light and colour.